# I can make you an ace chess player, archer, or both. Any takers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142 "2010-10-14T16:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/61 "2010-10-14T21:53:40Z")
Interesting. Having never heard of any character named Legolas. I assumed it was some famous actual living archer – well, as famous as a living archer gets. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/62 "2010-10-14T22:01:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Mtgman](#): > > > > B]both in the books and in the more well-known film series,\*\* > > :eek: Sad, but true. ☹ Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/63 "2010-10-14T22:05:18Z")
Chess. There’s money in it. I could make a couple million per year. I’m sure there’s cash in archery, too, but I happen to already be a chess player and sometimes dream of being far better than I currently am at it. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/64 "2010-10-14T22:27:23Z")
I have to say, the two-fer doesn’t seem like a good deal to me. I’m already well above the 90th percentile in chess. That doesn’t actually mean I’m that good, it mostly means that 90% of the population knows next to nothing about chess, and I, having studied it briefly in the eighth grade, am able to beat 90% of the population, who really are total novices. Likewise, in a population where no more than a couple percent shoot a bow and arrow more often than once a year, being above the 90th percentile seems like a feat I could equal myself, sans amulet, in a couple weekends. Therefore, definitely the chess amulet for me, because there’s a little bit of money in hustling chess, and very little in hustling archery. Plus, I like chess more than archery. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/65 "2010-10-14T23:21:30Z")
I’ve been playing chess for 35 years. Deer sleep in my front yard. I’ll take both please. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/66 "2010-10-14T23:25:07Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > > Green Arrow lied to all of us. > > You. Take. That. Back. I’ll modify it, maybe. OLLIE, armed with a arrow, can take any normal armed with anything short of a bazooka. You are not Ollie. > [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I’ve been playing chess for 35 years. Deer sleep in my front yard. I’ll take both please. Just out of idle curiosity, during what time of the year is killing deer permitted where you live? Also, deer are stupid and are not going to learn. What are you gonna do with all that meat? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/67 "2010-10-14T23:31:51Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > > > I’ve been playing chess for 35 years. Deer sleep in my front yard. I’ll take both please. > > Just out of idle curiosity, during what time of the year is killing deer permitted where you live? > > Also, deer are stupid and are not going to learn. What are you gonna do with all that meat? Bow season opened 2 weeks ago and runs through the middle of January. I assume that just because I have elvish abilities, I don’t have to use them beyond what I would eat. Chili. Summer sausage. Deer jerky. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/68 "2010-10-14T23:45:30Z")
Both of course. I’d take both even if they only brought me to the 75th percentile. I’m much more of a generalist and being rather good at two things I don’t really care about very much is better than exceptional at just one. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/69 "2010-10-15T04:12:16Z")
90th percentile and 99.99th percentile aren’t really that impressive. You’re certainly not going to be a big name or a world class competitor with skills at that level. 99.99% is only better than 9,999 out of 10,000, so even in a town of 20,000, there is likely to be someone better than you. Hardly Bobby Fischer level abilities! ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/70 "2010-10-15T04:55:09Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > 90th percentile and 99.99th percentile aren’t really that impressive. You’re certainly not going to be a big name or a world class competitor with skills at that level. 99.99% is only better than 9,999 out of 10,000, so even in a town of 20,000, there is likely to be someone better than you. Hardly Bobby Fischer level abilities! I assumed those were the percentiles _among_ ranked archers and chess players. No? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/71 "2010-10-15T05:15:19Z")
No downside, even the combo gives an exceptional boost? Why would anyone not take it? So, yes, I’ll take a combo. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/72 "2010-10-15T06:23:06Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Chess. There’s money in it. I could make a couple million per year. I’m sure there’s cash in archery, too, but I happen to already be a chess player and sometimes dream of being far better than I currently am at it. This is what I came to say. However, I’m afraid that if there are so many amulets available that all the big boys would get one, and it would make my worthless. However, it would still be fun until everyone gets one. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/73 "2010-10-15T06:23:55Z")
i’d like to be an excellent archer … could stock my fridge with venison and shoot flaming arrows at zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/74 "2010-10-15T06:27:33Z")
I’ll take both skills at 90th, with the stipulation that I can take off the amulet and be a normal person again whenever I want to. Chess especially wouldn’t be much fun if I knew I could beat all my friends soundly whenever I wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/75 "2010-10-15T06:38:05Z")
Would we be able to try them out before we choose? Because my nature of preferring quantity over quality of skills would make me want to choose both, but I find that my overthinking even now can cause me grief, so the chess one might make me feel bad. And I’d hate to have to be depressed every time I’d want to shoot an arrow. I can’t imagine wanting to take the chess one by itself, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/76 "2010-10-15T07:26:17Z")
Chess. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/77 "2010-10-15T12:18:11Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Interesting. Having never heard of any character named Legolas. I assumed it was some famous actual living archer – well, as famous as a living archer gets. Now you’re just being mean. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > > > You. Take. That. Back. > > I’ll modify it, maybe. OLLIE, armed with a arrow, can take any normal armed with anything short of a bazooka. Fair enough. > [@](#): > > You are not Ollie. But with that spiffy amulet you’re offering, I could be just as good. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/78 "2010-10-15T13:16:09Z")
I’d like the chess one, please. Hubby and kids play chess, and I’ve just never gotten the hang of it. I’d love to be able to join in and play with them. Also, I have too big of a chest for archery. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/79 "2010-10-15T15:11:03Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > > [@ataraxy22](#): > > > > 90th percentile and 99.99th percentile aren’t really that impressive. You’re certainly not going to be a big name or a world class competitor with skills at that level. 99.99% is only better than 9,999 out of 10,000, so even in a town of 20,000, there is likely to be someone better than you. Hardly Bobby Fischer level abilities! > > I assumed those were the percentiles _among_ ranked archers and chess players. No? Yes. I said so above. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142/80 "2010-10-15T15:17:39Z")
I’ve always wanted to learn how to play chess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-you-an-ace-chess-player-archer-or-both-any-takers/557142.md?page=5)